Intelligent right of way determination for autonomous vehicles

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising: sensor systems that generate sensor signals, wherein the sensor signals are indicative of a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the driving environment includes an intersection; and a computing system that is in communication with the sensor systems, wherein the computing system comprises: a processor; and memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: detecting an occluded area in the driving environment proximate to the intersection from a perspective of the autonomous vehicle based on the sensor signals; receiving disparate sensor signals from a disparate autonomous vehicle, wherein the disparate sensor signals correspond to the occluded area; detecting one or more differing vehicles proximate to the intersection based on the sensor signals and the disparate sensor signals when the autonomous vehicle is proximate to the intersection, wherein detecting the one or more differing vehicles proximate to the intersection further comprises detecting whether the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least one non-autonomous vehicle; when the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least one non-autonomous vehicle detected as being proximate to the intersection, traversing the intersection based on a first turn order for the autonomous vehicle and the one or more differing vehicles, the first turn order being a function of times at which the autonomous vehicle and the one or more differing vehicles respectively arrive at the intersection; and when the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least a second autonomous vehicle detected as being proximate to the intersection and lacks a non-autonomous vehicle: generating a first bid indicative of a first importance that the autonomous vehicle traverses the intersection, wherein the first bid is based on characteristics of a trip of a passenger riding in the autonomous vehicle; transmitting the first bid to a networked computing system, wherein the networked computing system determines a second turn order for the autonomous vehicle and the one or more differing vehicles based on at least the first bid and a second bid, wherein the second bid is generated by the second autonomous vehicle, and wherein the second bid is indicative of a second importance that the second autonomous vehicle traverses the intersection; receiving the second turn order from the networked computing system; and traversing the intersection based on the second turn order.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the trip of the passenger riding in the autonomous vehicle include at least one of: an intended path creating a shortest distance of the trip, a priority of the autonomous vehicle, a priority of the passenger, an amount of idle time of the autonomous vehicle at the intersection, ride quality experienced by the passenger, a total time of the trip of the passenger, an expected arrival time of the autonomous vehicle at a destination, previous approval ratings of an autonomous vehicle service responsible for the autonomous vehicle, fuel consumption of the autonomous vehicle, energy consumption of the autonomous vehicle, remaining distance left for the autonomous vehicle to travel on the trip, time remaining in the trip, or a type of the trip.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 2 , wherein each characteristic in the characteristics is assigned a respective weight, wherein the computing system generates a score that is indicative of the first importance that the autonomous vehicle traverses the intersection based on the characteristics as weighted.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the networked computing system determines that a first future path of the autonomous vehicle and a second future path of the second autonomous vehicle are non-intersecting, wherein the second turn order indicates that the autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle are to concurrently traverse the intersection.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising: directly communicating with the second autonomous vehicle prior to traversing the intersection based on the second turn order.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the networked computing system determines that the first importance is less than the second importance, wherein the second turn order indicates that the autonomous vehicle is to traverse the intersection subsequent to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection, wherein traversing the intersection based on the second turn order comprises causing the autonomous vehicle to traverse the intersection subsequent to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the networked computing system determines that the first importance is greater than the second importance, wherein the second turn order indicates that the autonomous vehicle is to traverse the intersection prior to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection, wherein traversing the intersection based on the second turn order comprises causing the autonomous vehicle to traverse the intersection prior to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle belongs to a first autonomous vehicle fleet that is maintained by a first autonomous vehicle service, wherein the second autonomous vehicle belongs to a second autonomous vehicle fleet that is maintained by a second autonomous vehicle service.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle arrives at the intersection subsequent to the second autonomous vehicle arriving at the intersection, wherein the networked computing system determines that the first importance is greater than the second importance, wherein the second turn order indicates that the autonomous vehicle is to traverse the intersection prior to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first bid comprises a first location of the autonomous vehicle in the driving environment, wherein the second bid comprises a second location of the second autonomous vehicle in the driving environment, wherein the networked computing system determines that the autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle are proximate to the intersection based on the first bid, a first time at which the networked computing system receives the first bid, the second bid, and a second time at which the networked computing system receives the second bid.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising: responsive to detecting the occluded area, transmitting a request for the disparate sensor signals corresponding to the occluded area, wherein the request for the disparate sensor signals corresponding to the occluded area is transmitted to the networked computing system, and wherein the networked computing system selects the disparate autonomous vehicle to provide the disparate sensor signals corresponding to the occluded area.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is inhibited from transmitting the first bid to the networked computing system when the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least one non-autonomous vehicle.

13. A method performed by a processor of a networked computing system, the method comprising: receiving a first bid generated by a first autonomous vehicle, wherein the first bid is indicative of a first importance that the first autonomous vehicle traverses an intersection, wherein the first bid is based on first characteristics of a first trip of a first passenger riding in the first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the first bid comprises a first indication specifying whether a non-autonomous vehicle is detected by the first autonomous vehicle as being within proximity of the intersection; receiving a second bid generated by a second autonomous vehicle, wherein the second bid is indicative of a second importance that the second autonomous vehicle traverses the intersection, wherein the second bid is based on second characteristics of a second trip of a second passenger riding in the second autonomous vehicle, and wherein the second bid comprises a second indication specifying whether a non-autonomous vehicle is detected by the second autonomous vehicle as being within proximity of the intersection; determining that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle are both within proximity of the intersection based on the first bid and the second bid; determining whether a non-autonomous vehicle is within proximity of the intersection based on the first indication included in the first bid from the first autonomous vehicle and the second indication included in the second bid from the second autonomous vehicle; when a non-autonomous vehicle is within proximity of the intersection: determining a first turn order for the first autonomous vehicle, the second autonomous vehicle, and the non-autonomous vehicle based on respective arrival times within proximity of the intersection; and transmitting the first turn order to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle operate based on the first turn order; and when a non-autonomous vehicle is not within proximity of the intersection: determining a second turn order for the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle at the intersection based on the first bid and the second bid, wherein the second turn order indicates that the first autonomous vehicle is to traverse the intersection prior to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection or that the first autonomous vehicle is to traverse the intersection subsequent to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection; and transmitting the second turn order to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle operate based on the second turn order.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first autonomous vehicle arrives at the intersection subsequent to the second autonomous vehicle arriving at the intersection, wherein the networked computing system determines that the first importance is greater than the second importance, and wherein the second turn order indicates that the first autonomous vehicle is to traverse the intersection prior to the second autonomous vehicle traversing the intersection.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first autonomous vehicle belongs to a first autonomous vehicle fleet that is maintained by a first autonomous vehicle service, wherein the second autonomous vehicle belongs to a second autonomous vehicle fleet that is maintained by a second autonomous vehicle service.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first characteristics include at least one of: a first intended path creating a shortest distance of the first trip, a priority of the first autonomous vehicle, a first priority of the first passenger, a first amount of idle time of the first autonomous vehicle at the intersection, a ride quality experienced by the first passenger, a total time of the first trip of the first passenger, an expected arrival time of the first autonomous vehicle at a first destination of the first trip, previous approval ratings of a first autonomous vehicle service responsible for the first autonomous vehicle, fuel consumption of the first autonomous vehicle, energy consumption of the first autonomous vehicle, remaining distance left for the first autonomous vehicle to travel on the first trip, time remaining in the first trip, or a type of the first trip, wherein the second characteristics include at least one of: a second intended path creating a shortest distance of the second trip, a priority of the second autonomous vehicle, a second priority of the second passenger, a second amount of idle time of the second autonomous vehicle at the intersection, a ride quality experienced by the second passenger, a total time of the second trip of the second passenger, an expected arrival time of the second autonomous vehicle at a second destination of the second trip, previous approval ratings of a second autonomous vehicle service responsible for the second autonomous vehicle, fuel consumption of the second autonomous vehicle, energy consumption of the second autonomous vehicle, remaining distance left for the second autonomous vehicle to travel on the second trip, time remaining in the second trip, or a type of the second trip.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: receiving, from the first autonomous vehicle, a request for sensor signals corresponding to an occluded area, wherein the occluded area is proximate to the intersection and is occluded from a perspective of the first autonomous vehicle; selecting a disparate autonomous vehicle to provide the sensor signals corresponding to the occluded area to the first autonomous vehicle, the disparate autonomous vehicle being one of the second autonomous vehicle or a third autonomous vehicle; and causing the disparate autonomous vehicle to provide the sensor signals corresponding to the occluded area to the first autonomous vehicle.

18. A method performed by an autonomous vehicle, comprising: detecting an occluded area in a driving environment proximate to an intersection from a perspective of the autonomous vehicle based on sensor signals generated by sensor systems of the autonomous vehicle; receiving disparate sensor signals from a disparate autonomous vehicle, wherein the disparate sensor signals correspond to the occluded area; detecting one or more differing vehicles proximate to the intersection based on the sensor signals and the disparate sensor signals when the autonomous vehicle is proximate to the intersection, wherein detecting the one or more differing vehicles proximate to the intersection further comprises detecting whether the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least one non-autonomous vehicle; when the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least one non-autonomous vehicle detected as being proximate to the intersection, traversing the intersection based on a first turn order for the autonomous vehicle and the one or more differing vehicles, the first turn order being a function of times at which the autonomous vehicle and the one or more differing vehicles respectively arrive at the intersection; and when the one or more differing vehicles comprises at least a second autonomous vehicle detected as being proximate to the intersection and lacks a non-autonomous vehicle: generating a first bid indicative of a first importance that the autonomous vehicle traverses the intersection, wherein the first bid is based on characteristics of a trip of a passenger riding in the autonomous vehicle; transmitting the first bid to a networked computing system, wherein the networked computing system determines a second turn order for the autonomous vehicle and the one or more differing vehicles based on at least the first bid and a second bid, wherein the second bid is generated by the second autonomous vehicle, and wherein the second bid is indicative of a second importance that the second autonomous vehicle traverses the intersection; receiving the second turn order from the networked computing system; and traversing the intersection based on the second turn order.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the characteristics of the trip of the passenger riding in the autonomous vehicle include at least one of: an intended path creating a shortest distance of the trip, a priority of the autonomous vehicle, a priority of the passenger, an amount of idle time of the autonomous vehicle at the intersection, ride quality experienced by the passenger, a total time of the trip of the passenger, an expected arrival time of the autonomous vehicle at a destination, previous approval ratings of an autonomous vehicle service responsible for the autonomous vehicle, fuel consumption of the autonomous vehicle, energy consumption of the autonomous vehicle, remaining distance left for the autonomous vehicle to travel on the trip, time remaining in the trip, or a type of the trip.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the networked computing system determines that a first future path of the autonomous vehicle and a second future path of the second autonomous vehicle are non-intersecting, wherein the second turn order indicates that the autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle are to concurrently traverse the intersection.